


The Marvelous Misadventures of a Tired Teen

by OtaGamerKorin



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Genre: Also lots of 4th wall breaking (sorta) and commenting on animated and gaming logic being kinda BS, And snarky humor, Cause dear Ota can swear like a sailor, Feel free to leave suggestions for series and scenarios, Fluff, Gen, I can always use more inspiration, It's super freakin late but whatever, Lots of snarky humor, No self-shipping, Other ships will be mentioned or implied at times, Rated T for swearing, Self Insert Weekend, Self-Insert, This is going to be a multi-part fic so more tags will be added as needed, Unless you're talking about FRIENDshipping ehhh ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 23:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7075324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtaGamerKorin/pseuds/OtaGamerKorin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(An ongoing series of overlapping self-insert adventures created for Self-Insert Weekend.)</p>
<p>All Ota wanted to do was get her breakfast, fill out some job applications, maybe browse Crunchyroll for a bit then potentially go back to bed. Instead she gets stuck with a mysterious device via mail carrier and is thrust into a mission to discover the identity of the mysterious SIO, all the while being physically sucked into one fictional series after the next. Somebody give this poor girl some migraine medication and 5-Hour-Energy. She'd gonna need it.</p>
<p>(Suggestions accepted and appreciated)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Marvelous Misadventures of a Tired Teen

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there everybody. While this certainly isn't my first foray into fanfiction writing (I'll be uploading some of my other works in the future), this is the first work I've published here. So here's hoping you guys will like it. As a bit of an insight, this series will include references and appearances from several real people (myself included of course) so nicknames and usernames names will be used in several cases for the sake of privacy. Also, this chapter is based very heavily around Batman the Brave and the Bold, specifically the episode "Mayhem of the Music Meister" so if you haven't seen it you can watch it here: http://kisscartoon.me/Cartoon/Batman-The-Brave-and-the-Bold/Season-01-Episode-024-Mayhem-of-the-Music-Meister?id=12651 (Go, go watch it. It doesn't really involve any outside knowledge of the series to understand and the animation is really good. Plus you get to hear Neil Patrick Harris and several other actors freaking killing it in the music department.) As for the length, let's just say I went a bit overboard when Self Insert Week rolled around and kinda created this monstrosity. (Not kidding, in my rough story planning notes I wrote "She hangs out in the fictional world for a bit then gets home." Yeah, hung out for a good 12 pages.) And lord, this is only chapter one. Prepare yourselves for quite a ride my friends.
> 
> (Oh and since there's a lot of singing going on this chapter:)  
> Meister singing= bolded  
> Ota or others singing= italicized  
> Meister + Ota or others singing= bolded + italicized

It was the knock at the door that awoke me. I squinted against the light attempting to murder my retinas, staring blankly at the ceiling. After a moment I managed to make out the subtle wave pattern embedded in its rough surface and gave a hum of confusion.

‘This ain’t my room. Where the hell am I?’

Groping around under me, I ran a hand along the ribbed surface of my resting place.

‘OK, that’s definitely the couch.’ I mused, vaguely remembering having gotten up and walking out here. Must have sat down and fallen asleep again.

Another knock caught my attention and I gave a hissed curse, attempting to struggle free from my prison of blankets and pillows. I gave a few hopping steps towards the door, almost falling as one of the blankets wrapped around my ankles. I managed to shake it off and stumbled the last few feet, running a hand over my bedhead in a futile attempt to smooth it.

“Hi there, what can I do for...hello?”

I glanced around outside, searching for the source of the knocking. No one on the front step, no cars in the driveway beside mine, nor any on the road.

“The hell?” I mumbled, stepping outside to peek down the sides of the house. Nope, nobody over there either. Taking a step back, I felt my foot bumped against something. Stooping down, I swiftly grabbed the package from where it was teetering on the steps edge.

“Great, magical disappearing mailmen, that’s all I needed this morning.” I sighed, stepping back inside. Trudging over to the kitchen, I tossed the package on the counter and reached for the coffee maker.

“Yes...Yes, come to me, nectar of the gods...And now I’m talking to myself...” I grumbled, barely paying attention as I poured in the grounds and set it to brew. Slumping back against the counter, my eye was once again caught by the package. I’d assumed that it’d been another shipment of vitamins and other herbal stuff for my mom, so it was only then that I noticed my own name on the label. I gave a hum of curiosity, unable to remember ordering anything recently, and tugged it closer.

“SIO? What the hell is SIO?” I enquired to no one in particular as I caught sight of the senders name. I was interrupted by a beep from the coffee maker and dropped the question for the time being as I reached for a mug. After loading my coffee with enough milk and sugar to kill a man (I bow down to the Coffee Lord Godot, but drink that shit black I shall not), I snatched everything up and retreated back to my blanket nest. Settling down, I reached for my laptop.

I must have had it on when I fell asleep, judging from the number of tabs that were up when I switched it on.  I quickly switched most of them off, almost fearful that someone would sense the amount I’d had open.

“Close...the tabs...Stop...Having them open...” I could practically hear my friend berating me and gave a snort of laughter.

“You and your fuckin memes King...”

I glanced over some of my tabs as I closed them, eyebrow cocked.

“Why don’t snakes have arms...Do babies float...Can you break a lung if you only breathe in?? Christ on a cracker, how out of it was I this morning?”

Finding a playlist of Batman: The Brave and the Bold still open, I set Music Meisters episode to play and set it aside on the other end of the couch. Might as well listen to Neil Patrick Harris’s dulcet tones while I unraveled this mystery.

Now slightly more awake, I set to work examining the package. The box was a plain white, vacant of any ornamentation besides the label. I shook it gently and listened. OK, probably not a bomb. Nodding in satisfaction, I reaching for the box cutter I’d snatched on my way out of the kitchen. I slid it into the first seam, pausing a moment to hold my breath.

‘This is how people die in movies.’ I thought, bracing myself as I swiftly flipped the flaps open.

When I wasn’t immediately blasted by powdered Athrax, I chanced a look inside. The first thing that met my eyes was a thin booklet.  Fishing it out, I found what appeared to be an oversized ring box buried in a mass of bubble wrap underneath.

“And the plot thickens,” I sighed, flicking the book open as I reached for my mug.

_Hello user! We are proud to announce that you have been selected to help with the testing of SIO’s newest type of entertainment device, the Injector!_

Assuming they meant whatever resided within the ring box, I fished it out and levered it open.

Of all the things I was expecting to find, something bearing a striking resemblance to a Log Pose was defiantly not one. Baffled by the bizarre glass orb staring at me, I pulled the object free of its velvet draped prison. Upon closer inspection, I found that the orb was actually a dome, sunk squarely in the center of a curved metal faceplate. Around its edge were a few adjustable rings, flanked by tiny buttons. Separating everything there were small gaps, inlayed with some dark material. The whole thing was attached to a watch band of soft leather, thicker near the face and thinning out towards the buckle. Said buckle was designed like that off a seat belt, sliding into itself and locking with a click. All of these things I discovered as I wrestled it on with one hand, finding it just the right size.

“Ok, we got this weird watch thing on. What next?”

_The Injector provides the user with an all new way of experiencing their entertainment, up close and personal. To format your Injector, press the button marked with the power symbol._

I glanced at the gizmo, finding said button tucked away on the far end. It gave a click as I pressed it and the device lit up, the globe and inlays glowing a bright blue as the rings spun and swiveled into place.

“Ooo, we got ourselves some production value.” I mumbled as I took a sip of my coffee.

“Hello user!”

 I choked on said coffee as a voice chimed in happily. Coughing my lungs clear, I glanced at the device. The dome had dimmed and was “thrumming”, a little ripple of light traveling up it every few seconds.

“It’s a pleasure working with you!” The voice called again, a thicker thrum of light accompanying it.

“Please stand by while the genetic ID is gathered.”

“Genetic ID? What the hell is a gen-?”

I jumped as a sharp pain pricked in the back of my wrist, jostling my cup as the base of the dome lit up with a beep.

“Blood sample received! Please issue voice sample.”

I was barely able to register it’d said anything before giving a shriek as a large glob of steaming coffee splashed onto my leg.

“OWW!! FUCK, FUCK GET OFF!!”

“Voice command confirmed! Injector Point scan shall begin in a moment.” The voice chirped cheerfully, the rest of the dome beginning to blink. I gave it no thought, too distracted desperately swiping at the burning liquid seeping into my sweats. I DID take notice however as it suddenly cast out a bright cone of light, hitting me directly in the eye before slowly beginning to sweep across the room. It reached my computer and the machines screen, usually dimmed fairly low, flared to full brightness.

“Entry Point detected. Medium: TV Show. Specification: Batman the Brave and the Bold. Beginning Injection!”

The screen suddenly turned a blinding blue, mirrored by the “watch”. A sudden breeze tugged at my hair and I glanced to see if I’d left the bay window across the room open.  I hadn’t, and yet the wind continued to strengthen. As it reached a whirlwind level of intensity, my hair whipping around me, I realized it wasn’t streaming through the windows, but somehow seemed to be funneling directly towards the computer.

I gave a shout as my arm suddenly jerked forward, the watch straining against my skin. It was like I was being pulled by a magnet, the pull loosening for a moment only to give another yank and almost topple me over, slowly drawing me closer to the screen. I strained back, digging my heels into the cushions. One last yank and my fingers touched the screen. I choked on my breath as, rather than resting against its normally hard, finger-smeared surface, they simply slid straight through, as though it were no more than a wall of mist. Momentarily distracted, I lost my footing, sinking wrist deep into the screen. Immediately, my arm was locked in the vice-like grip of some invisible force and I lost my balance completely, being dragged down the length of the couch. The screen seemed to stretch wider to meet me and then I was tumbling head-over-heels though a vortex of light and screaming wind. I squeezed my eyes shut against the brightness, arms flailing out in some desperate attempt at control.

And just as quick as it had started, the wind was gone, and I smacked flat on my back against a cold stone floor. The breath escaped me with a wheeze and my eyes snapped open, gaze speckled over with black as I stared at the ceiling and tried to regain the use of my lungs. After a few minutes of hoarse gasping, I managed to roll onto my stomach and prop myself up.

“What...in the ever-loving fuck...was that? And where am I??” I hissed, hand clasped over my shaking chest as I slowly glanced around. The area around me seemed to be some sort of lab, with a long row of military-esq computers and monitors lined against one wall.

“Where did you take me, you weird little gadget?” I whispered, glancing down at the watch (which honestly could hardly be considered a watch at this point) that had been the cause of all this. It winked up cheerily at me, its globe gleaming a soft blue.

I climbed to my feet, shivering slightly as the cold from the floor seeped through my socks. I rarely wore them around the house, so I guess the fact I happened to be wearing them was a plus at least. I made my way over to the cluster of computers, examining the large monitor they attached to. It seemed to be displaying diagnostics of some sort and I could see security feed of what appeared to be a space shuttle of sorts. Resisting the urge to fiddle with the controls, I stepped away from it and made my way towards a pair of doors at the far end of the room. Pausing a moment, I tilted an ear towards the wall. Faintly, I could hear a clamour of yelling and other noises, clear signs of a commotion outside. And where there’s a commotion, there’s also people who could tell me where the hell I was. Determined, I strode to the door and pulled it open.

Only to slam it shut again and take several hurried steps back. I mean, what else was I supposed to do when I saw a group of security guards fighting what I could only describe as a giant crab robot?

Heartbeat racing again, I could feel my panic building, rushing out of control and amplifying every sense ten-fold. Suddenly the lights were too bright, the sounds outside uncomfortable loud even blocked by the wall, and the coffee I’d swallowed earlier was churning painfully in my stomach. I clenched my hands together, trying to prevent the twitches that typically accompanied these fits. Taking a deep breath, I found the nearest corner and squished myself into it, pulling my legs and arms close to my chest and trying to block everything out.

‘No need to panic, no need to panic.’ I told myself

‘Just because there’s some bullshit Tony Stark ass machinery out there that most likely doesn’t exist on Earth doesn’t mean you should freak out. It’s not like I’ve been pulled into some alternate reality or anything...’

A beep caught my attention and I glanced at the watch. The dome had lit up a deep red color. That probably wasn’t good.

“Invasive force detected, applying protective counter measures.” It quietly chirped, and flashed green. I felt a tingle of static pass through my arm and head, and it faded back to its usual blue.

“Whoa, whoa what was that? What did you do? What do you mean invasive force?” I whispered, poking at it. It remained silent and in the quiet I suddenly became aware of a noise.

Was someone...humming?

I tilted my head, trying to catch a snip of the sound again. I did, louder this time, and for a moment I felt the urge to join in. The feeling quickly passed and I listened as the noise got closer. Where in the world was it coming from?

My question was answered as a shadow suddenly loomed over me and I barely managed to choke back a shriek. I looked up to find someone leaned over me. In my panic, my brain was barely managing to make out the details of what I was seeing. Red hair, purple suit, a wide grin set under an angular nose and odd, musical note looking sunglasse-

My stomach dropped into my shoes and I took a shuddering breath, hands grasped tighter over my mouth as I fought off a wave of nausea.

The man tilted his head with an amused expression, oblivious to my panic. He continued his humming and I could tell even with the limited range that he was very skilled. After his moment, his smile faltered and he gave a louder hum. I squished a bit tighter in on myself and we continued our little stare-off.

“Well, that doesn’t usually happen. You wouldn’t happen to be tone deaf would you?” He asked and I briskly shook my head. He leaned back, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Are you wearing ear plugs? Got some sort of fancy hearing aid? Uhh, psychic powers?”

No, no and no.

By this point, the poor guy just looked outright bewildered.

“Huh. Well, that’s, uh, that’s never happened before.”

“Sorry.” I replied sheepishly. Best to try and not make the maestro of villainy mad.

“No, it’s, uh, it’s fine. Now I need to figure out what to do with you though.” He sighed, tapping a finger against his lips pensively. Suddenly his face lit up and he snapped his fingers.

“Ooh, I got it! One can always stand to have a hostage or two sitting around.”

I felt my stomach sink again and a little whine of panic squeezed past my lips. He cocked and eyebrow and rolled his eyes.

“Oh, calm down, I’m not going to kill you or anything. You’re like, what, 17? 18?”

“19.”

“Close enough. You’re barely more than a kid. I’m evil, but I’m not the freaking Joker or anything. So, can I trust you to stay put? Or do I need to go find some rope?”

I nodded vigorously. I may not have the best survival instincts, but it’s probably a good idea not to disagree with the super villain with the pointy electric baton.

In the momentary silence that followed, I realized the noises from outside had stopped. He seemed to as well and grinned, adjusting the lapels of his coat.

“Time for the grand entrance. Don’t touch anything while I’m gone.” He cooed, then spun around in a blur of purple and swaggered off. As he disappeared around some machinery, my head fell back with a thump against the wall.

“I’m in the fuckin show.” I mumbled, dumbfounded by the turn of events. There’s no way my so-called “companion” wasn’t the real Music Meister. Everything from his voice to his hair and build was just too spot on for it to be some weird ass cosplayer or something. And it didn’t take a genius to tell that the watch on my wrist was the root of this whole mess.

Growling, I yanked at it, but the band was too narrow to fit over my wrist. I tried digging my nails into the seams of the clasp next, but it was as though it had fused into one solid piece, not budging an inch despite my prying. With a huff, I gave up. Smashing it would probable cause more problems than it would fix, so I just left it be for the time being. At least the thing was comfortable.

Clambering to my feet, I crept over to the doors. No way was I gonna try and leave, but I might as well watch the battle go down while I was here. How would cartoon logic translate to real life anyway? Slidding the door open ever so slightly, I peeked out.

Meister had already begun his number it seemed, and it was more than a little bizarre to hear accompaniment coming from seemingly nowhere. Had he set up speakers beforehand? Was it being broadcast directly from his baton? Hell if I knew. Even reality couldn’t explain this musical BS apparently. I even found myself tapping my foot and humming along. Not from his mind control, mind you, merely of my own volition. His soundtrack was catchy as all hell, OK?

Noticing that the dancers were drawing a bit close to the door, I took a few steps back for precautions sake. No need to get smacked in the nose if someone happened to stumble back against them. Leaning my hip against the wall went over what I remembered of the scene in my mind.

‘OK, he gets them under his control, they all waltz around a bit, there’s a funky transitions and then...what was it that happens?’

I let out a squeak of fright as the doors slammed over and a literal pyramid of people entered, bearing Meister upon their hands.  Stepping off of them he leapt over to the computer and swept his hand along the keyboard.

**“Oh, I’m the Music Meister, and everyone just fawns.”** He crooned, side-eyeing me with a grin. I felt a buzz of irritation in the back of my mind and smirked in response. Oh, that’s how we’re gonna play it, are we?

_“He’s the Music Meister, and we’re **mostly** all his pawns_.” I sang back, the little voice in my head screaming that this was a terrible idea. I’d expected annoyance, maybe even outright anger, but was instead met with a wide grin and the sight of his shaded eyes practically lighting up with glee. He sidled towards me, hand pressed dramatically to his chest as he continued.

**“And so for me it’s destiny to be the maestro of villany!”**

Egged on, I closed the distance between us, smirk sealed on my lips.

_“He’s the Music Meister and he needs to speak up a little bit more.”_

I leaned up towards him, eyes narrowed in challenge.

“You might have vocal skills out the wazoo, but you ain’t got the best of me just yet.”

 I’m pretty sure my conscience was having a conniption at this point, but he merely let out a chuckle and flicked me on the nose.

“Something tells me I’m gonna like you.”

He gave me a little wave as he slid towards the door and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Moving to a crate nearby, I hopped on top and settled down to wait, tilting my head towards the door to listen. The man’s voice didn’t need to be hypnotizing to warrant listening to. I even began tapping my fingers along to the beat.

It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes when Meister came streaking back in, dragging me to my feet as he passed.

“Step in time kiddo. We got company. Try and put on a nice act, OK?” He chirped, pounding a button on the console as he pulling me towards a ladder I hadn’t noticed before.   More or less being thrown on it, I climbed as fast as I could, the villain following behind me two steps at a time. I pressed open a hatch at the top and clambered out onto a roof, Meister popping up beside me with that cocky grin back on his face. I glanced out into the square below and caught my first glimpse of the Dark Knight, grappling with Aquaman. He seemed bigger in person, perhaps even beating out Meister by a few inches. As though sensing my gaze, the cowled man threw the Atlantian aside and looked up.

“A kid? What is she doing here?” He wondered out loud. I was about to contest his statement (in what world does a 19 year old count as a kid?) but felt my villainous companion give me a nudge with his elbow. He winked beneath his sunglasses, and somehow I immediately realized what his plan was. I let my expression go blank and mindless as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

 “Oh, she’s just a little failsafe for this evening. No need to worry yourself.”

“You’d stoop to kidnapping a child? You heinous fiend.”

He started towards the building but a whistle from Meister had the hypnotized heroes blocking his path.

“She’s not the only one you need to worry about!”

He released my shoulder, voice raising above the din of the active rocket.

**“And now that Batman’s been delayed, your usefulness is past. A distraction is what I need, so kick into that blast!”**

I matched his crescendo, my throat aching on the top note. Word to the wise boys and girls, don’t drink coffee right before you sing. He began dance away down the roof, legs kicking up high, and I followed, concentrating to try and match his steps. (It was not nearly as easy as it looked.) So focused in fact that I almost dropped the façade in surprise as he suddenly scooped me up under his arm and jumped off the side of the ledge. I’m 5’11 and not exactly light, but damn was that coat hiding some biceps apparently.

**“I’m the Music Meister, I won the day now I must fly!”** He tossed me onto the bizarre 8th note bike he had standing by and leapt on behind me, raising an arm triumphantly as the vehicle revved and started moving.

**“I’m the Music Meister and I’m here to settle the score!”**

*

My hands scrambled at the bikes smooth surface as we made our getaway, struggling to keep a decent grip. The villain behind me chuckled at my struggle and gently boxed me in with his arms, leaning slightly over my back as we sped up.

“Just a bit longer. We’re almost there.”

I nodded and gave a quick glance back. Batman was probably occupied right now with the hypnotized posse, but the idea of him being on the hunt for us was intimidating, even considering the fact I wasn’t the one at fault.

He gave me a little nudge and I looked up to find us bearing down upon a rather odd, though innocuous, looking building. He steered us towards one of the doors and gave a whistle, the glass opening automatically and allowing us to zip in. The bike revved to a stop and he allowed me off, my legs wobbling under me slightly as he went to stash it somewhere. I glanced around what seemed to be a small lobby and wondered towards one of the doors nearby. Pushing it open, I found myself in the vast space of a concert hall. Rows upon rows of seats stretched up towards the ceiling and a massive pipe organ sat framed by the stage curtains.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Meister’s voice from behind me and I grabbed my chest, stifling a scream for the second time that night.

“Could you stop doing that?” I hissed, glaring as he gave a laugh.

“Yes, it’s very nice. The cut-outs were your idea too I imagine?”

“Suprisingly not. They were here when I got the place. They’re supposed to keep dust off of the upholstery or something. But they sure match the motif don’t they?”

I rolled my eyes, gesturing to the long dark robes he now wore.

“Well, you’re sure a master of the quick change aren’t you?”

“The stage is a hectic place. You just need to learn to keep up with it, even if it means changing on the fly.”

I felt a sudden wave of exhaustion gush through me at the mention and almost instinctively gave a groan as I collapsed backwards into one of the empty chairs, mouth moving before I could even think about what I was saying.

“God don’t I know it. 50 seconds for a full pantaloons to pirate hat switch, including shimmying behind that wiggly drape of a backdrop. I don’t thing I breathed the entire time.”

He grinned, hopping up to sit on the stage.

“Ahh, I should have taken you for the theater type. You’ve got quite a lovely voice by the way, though a bit strained on the high notes. You may want to practice a bit more if you want to sing 1st soprano.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” I replied, feeling a blush rise on my cheeks. Well, this certainly wasn’t the way I though this conversation was going to head. Regular people didn’t even normally complement my singing, let alone a super talented villain using me as a bargaining chip.

“I was actually in choir when I was in high school. One of my sections’ leaders in fact.”

I frowned, gazing down at the floor.

“But then, well, college rolled around, classes got in the way, and I haven’t had the time to try and join the one there yet. Plus my brother hates my singing, so I’m not allowed to practice at home.”

“Hmm, he sounds like a jerk.”

I was surprised by the amount of sympathy I sensed in his voice. I knew he’d been bullied as a kid for his hobbies, but it still seemed odd for him to be sympathizing with me so easily. Even so, I couldn’t help but be thankful for it, pinching the bridge of my nose as I replied.

“Oh, oh he is. It wasn’t even when I got out of choir that he complained about it either. The night before Chorale Fest and he throws a hissy fit about me practicing in the basement. I swear to god I want to punch him sometimes.”

Meister gave an annoyed huff, brows knitting together with a glare.

“You should see the things I would have done to him if I was there.”

I felt like my eyes were going to start making rotations permanently as I rolled them again with a snort.

“Please don’t murder my brother. I’d like my family to stay un-mutilated, thank you.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll drop it.” He said, holding his hands up defensively.

“Though, I have been wondering...what’s with the outfit? Shoeless and sweatpants does not exactly make the best ensemble for creeping around in the middle of the night. Plus, you know, why you were in a military guarded rocket center in the middle of the night.”

I tugged at my worn grey tanktop self-consciously, rubbing a hand over my face with a sigh.

“I wish I could tell you. But I’m about as in the dark as you are. I just kinda...woke up there. And I have a sneaking suspicion this little hunk of junk is the reason.”

I shook what at this point I’d deemed to simply call a bracelet and he gave an intrigued hum

“Weird...I feel like I’ve seen that tech before. Hatters? Or maybe Riddlers?”

“Really?” I asked, suddenly very alert and pushing myself up from where I’d been sprawled in the chair. This could my chance to figure out what the fuck was going on.

“You, uh, you don’t think you could take me to them, do you?”

He have a hum, pressing a finger to his lips quizzically.

“Well, I’m not exactly on the best of terms with all of Gotham’s finest, as you probably saw back there.”

He leaned towards me almost conspiratorially, a grin splitting across his face.

“Then again, I’ll have the entire world under my control, I think can pull a few strings. It’s the least I can do for my biggest fan.”

“Biggest fan?” I asked and he shrugged.

“I’ve never had anyone admire my singing even after I’ve tried to use it on them. The fact you still do is about the best complement you can give me.”

He glanced over and cocked an eyebrow.

“Though it would be nice to have a name to call you by.”

“Oh, oh right. It’s Ota.” I replied with a flush of embarrassment, hoping he didn’t notice the slight hesitation. My screen name would do. No need to tell him my real one.

“Splendid name for a splendid voice.”

I shook my head, unable to keep a grin from crawling onto my lips from the complement.

“So then, what’s the plan, Music Man?” I asked and he stood with a grandiose sweep of his robes, dusting them off a bit.

“Well, we have to wait for the satellite to reach the correct orbit. My little attachment should inform me when it’s in range. Then it’s only a matter of broadcasting a bit music.”

“OK, seems simple enough. And the Dark Knight seems a bit occupied at the moment, so there’s another point for Team Meister.”

“Precisely.”

He flexed his finger and glanced back with a sly look.

“Now, care for a song to fill the time?”

I shrugged in agreement, going back to lounging across the chair as he made his way to the organ. In all reality, the whole ordeal should have been scaring the shit out of me. Yet somehow I felt as ease, oddly comfortable in the villain’s presence.

I heard the first note of the organ and turned my attention back to my companion. It quickly became apparent that singing wasn’t is only talent as he struck precisely at the keys, his long arms extending the range he could reach. I giggled quietly as he began to get into it, shoulders taunt and leaned low over the keys as he swayed back and forth almost violently to the music. I didn’t recognize the piece but I could tell he played it with great skill regardless. With one last clash of his palms against the keyboard, he stood, knocking his bench over behind him. I applauded as he bowed, giving a whistle of approval. The sound quickly dissolved into a snort as he whipped the robes off and I wondered how many animals had died making the furry monstrosity of a cape he wore underneath.

“Thank you! Thank you! You’re too kind.” He crooned to the imaginary crowd, and I snickered.

“Well, I’d certainly hope I’m kind. I bet it would be quite a bit harder to drag me all over the city if I weren’t.”

“Watch it. Soon the whole world will be singing my praises.” He chided, wiggling his baton at me scoldingly. His expression fell a bit and he gave a thoughtful hum.

“Granted, there is still something that could get in my way.”

A shadow suddenly fell over him and in an instant it felt like all the warmth had been sucked out of the room.

“Your show’s about to have a long intermission Music Meister.”

Our heads whipped towards the lightbox, finding an iconic shape silhouetted there.

“Twenty years to life!”

Meister’s frame tightened, almost seeming to shake with frustration, and he gave a growl.

“Batman! Always Batman!” He cried, turning and diving towards the organ.

“Always driving villains BATS!”

He smashed a hand on the keyboard and with a mighty note smoke began to pour from the pipes overhead. Within moments the room was filled and I was fumbling to my feet, completely blinded. I didn’t even hesitate as I felt a familiar hand close around my own, simply keeping pace with him as he darted through the gloom. Once again I was tossed onto his bike, though my landing was much more graceful this time, perching on it side-saddle as he revved it to life. I hadn’t even noticed he’d changed till the cape was being dropped across my shoulders and we were out the door. I was suddenly glad for its warmth, no longer having Meister furnace of a body leaned on top of me to protect me from the chill.

**“He’s always got a sidekick, some boy wonder at his call**.” Said villain growled, glancing behind us with a scowl. Batman was hot on our heels, swinging through the buildings as easily as we weaved through the crowds.

**“His utility belt holds everything, can’t find that at the mall.”**

He raised his voice, and I could see the crowd grow glassy-eyed, tugging at Batmans cape and bringing him down as he passed.

**“The Batmobile is superfast. There is no car that is surpassed. It’s a good thing we’ve got Arkham ‘cause he really drives us bats!”**

He tossed his head in frustration and I grinned. The combination of the ever present soundtrack (still had yet to figure that out) combined with the adrenaline of the chase was getting to me and I couldn’t help but join in.

**_“Drives us bats! Drives us bats! He really drives us bats, bats, bats! He drives us bats!”_ **

The bike gave a jerk as the crime fighter came out of nowhere and seized the back end. For a moment I thought we’d tip, but then a grin split across Meisters face. A tug of his jacket and the conductor outfit was sent flying into Batmans face, a click of some hidden button detaching the rear of the bike. With a twirl he pulled me up and steadied me safely between his feet on the top of the new segway’s wheel. I only got a quick glance at his new marching band gear before he completely bypassed the curve of the road we were on and leapt us onto a set of phone lines, the wires oddly solid (and non-deadly) beneath our feet.

**“Whether dancing the Batusi, or using an array of tools, he’s always got the answers. He makes us look like fools!”**

The Caped Crusader was drawing close again, a scowl present on his face. Just as his fingertips brushed the red-heads coat however, the lines came to an end. For a moment I felt my stomach drop out from under me. Then there was the firm press of an arm around my waist as Meister pulled me close and flipped the entire vehicle over. The buzz of the wheel intensified and suddenly we were airborne.  In a flex of bicep that would’ve made a Joestar swoon, he hoisted me up over his head, disposing me on the notes upper beam while he hung with one arm from the bottom.

**“He’s got no superpowers!”** He crescendoed, ripping off his hat and sweeping it over his body. And in the spit second he was obscured by it he not only changed into a cringe-worthy disco suit, he now... also had an afro??

“How are you doing that?!” I hissed, resisting the urge to flail the arm that wasn’t clinging to the copter around in confusion, and being met only with a wink and grin.

**“He’s just a flying rat!”**

We flew up over a tall cement wall and I’d spent enough time playing the PS3 series to recognize the Blackgate Prison when I saw it.

**“It’s a good thing we’ve got Arkham cause he really drives us bats!”** the redhead kicked his legs out gleefully and I couldn’t help but just shake my head and join in with the voices inside.

  _“Drives us bats!”_

**“Worlds greatest detective!”** (It was a KISS-esq ensemble now and at this point I’d entirely given up on trying to wrap my head around this world’s bullshit logic.)

_“Drives us bats!”_

**“Foiling every evil scheme!”**

**_“He really drives us bats, bats, bats! He drives us bats!”_ **

A quick baton blast to the prisons doors and we were watching the mass of Gotham’s crime scene flood into the streets. We hovered high above the crowd, seeing the heroes attempt to quell the riot and fail miserably.

**_“He drives us bats! Drives us bats! Drives us bats!”_ **

Meister gave what I could only describe as a giggle as we settled on a nearby roof, observing the chaos unfolding below.

“That should keep them busy for a while. Just enough time for the satellite to reach it’s destination.”

“Well, if you say so.” I replied with a shrug. Seemed like it was going to cause more problems in the long run but who was I to argue with his methods?

He had just dismissed the note-copter to find it’s other half and shrugging off his valkyrie gear when a voice drifted by on the wind.

_“Look at him save the day...”_

We froze and glanced over the next roof, finding a blond figure perched on the far end.

“It’s her...” Meister whispered, eyes wide and shining. I knew that look well and smirked.

“Looks like someone’s got a crush.” I hummed, wiggling my eyebrows at him, and he jabbed me with his elbow.

“Hush you.” He mumbled, looking as though he were trying to will away the red flush crawling along his cheeks. He stood, brushing off his new outfit and moving to climb onto the next roof.

“Stay here. I’ll be back in a second.”

“Not sure what kind of chances you’re gonna have with her in that travesty, but ok.” I said with a shrug, snuggling into my cape and turning to watch.

He slowly approached her and joined in on her song. Admittedly, things didn’t seem to be going too badly. She hadn’t beaten the crap out of him yet. Or, well, noticed him for that matter. Under different circumstances I’d had thought they were cute. Hell, **given** the circumstances I thought they were cute. What can I say, I’d been a member of fandoms as a whole for far too long to let things like hero and villain get in the way of potential ships. And duet couples were always adorable. But in reality things like that tended not to work out too well, so I tried not get my hopes up to much.

**“If only she could love me like I love...villainy!”** He crooned, suddenly crescendoing. She whirled around, glaring up at him. Well, that got her attention.

_“Our voices may be in tune, but you sir, don’t make me swoon!”_ She belted out, turning and jumping down to the square below, making a beeline for Batman.

**“Our voice is the perfect match, but your life I’ll now dispatch**!” He cried in return, lifting his baton and leveling it on her. Her shout matched his note perfectly as the beam struck her, sending her to her knees. As she crumpled, the caped crusader joined her on the ground, a lucky blow knocking him out cold. Meister leapt down to stand neatly between their bodies, towering over them triumphantly.

Careful not to trip over my cape, I made my way down the nearby fire escape, wincing slightly as the concrete dug into my socked feet on the trot over.

“Sooo, how’d it go?” I droned jokingly and his expression saddened as he glanced down at the woman, sighing. I felt my stomach twist at the look, a jab of sympathy digging into me.

“Sorry.” I mumbled.

“I was hoping she would at least consider...” He murmured, then cleared his throat and straightened.

“Nothing we can do about it now. Time for plan C.”

“Well, I have no idea what plans A through B were, but ok.”

*

“I’m seriously beginning to wonder how many theaters you own.” I thought out loud as he finished twining another thick wire around the duo.

“A few.” He chimed, moving past me to twist the end through a set of gears.

“Small private ones tend to run pretty cheap around here.”

I hummed in response, pulling a leg up to rest my arms and head on. The scaffolding I sat on gave me a good view of his little death trap and I pointed towards an acid cannon on the far side.

“That one’s a bit a bit crooked. It’ll just go straight past them. And I think one of Canary’s wires needs tightening.” He nodded and moved over to adjust them.

“Thanks, but now I’ve got a question for you. Why am I doing all the work while you sit and watch?” He folded his arms, glancing at me almost scolding. I gave a little huff, swinging my free leg loosely over the edge.

“Hey, I’ve got enough mental stuff going on as is. I don’t need the death of Gotham’s finest weighing ne down as well. Besides, I’m just a hostage. Granted, a very snarky hostage who may be having a bit too much fun with a villain who’s probably more lenient with her than he should be, but a hostage none the less.”

“True, true.”

A little groan caught our attention and we turned to see the unconscious duo shifting a bit, Canary’s limp head lolling to one side before settling.

“They’ll be up soon. Come on little songbird, time to go. Wouldn’t want my ace in the hole to get injured during the show.” He stepped over the scaffolding, extending his arms up towards me. After a moment’s deliberation, I jumped down to him, giving a small grunt as he caught me.

“Good, I didn’t want to have to stick around that horrendous get-up anyway.” I snickered as he set me down.

“Well, you certainly seem to be enjoying my cape. Evidently my fashion sense can’t be that bad.” He replied, hand settling on said cape as he guided me towards the elevator.

“The clothes are fine. It’s the mohawk that’s threatening my delicate teen sensibilities.” I poked the spiked cones of hair as though to prove my point.

“OK, enough of that. Up you go.”

He gave me a little two fingered salute as the elevator closed and I tapped my foot as I buzzed up through the building, cursing Meister for getting his theme song stuck in my head. I soon found myself in a security room and glanced at the bank of cameras, seeing that our dear duo had awoken and were struggling against their bonds. Like the overzealous showman he was, Meister came swinging down out of the scaffolding where I’d been perched and landed in front of them. I fiddled with a few knobs on the dash and managed to find the sound controls.

“No encore for you this time Batman. And I’m afraid it’s closing night for my little birdy too. A shame, we could have made such sweet music.” I frowned, detecting a slight twinge of sadness in his voice.

“But now the world awaits my final number. And I shouldn’t keep them.” He gloated, armor coming down to lock over his frame as he backed into the returned elevator. He swiped a hand over his hair as the doors closed, returning it to its normal sleek style. A few seconds later I heard a ding and the doors behind me opened.

“You really need to show me how to do that hair thing.” I mused, unconsciously sweeping a hand over my head in a futile attempt to tame my own wild locks. He laughed and mussed my hair even more.

“Time for the grand finale.” He grinned, steering us out of the building at brisk pace and to the recently re-assembled bike.

As the city flew by in a blur, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. Not over Meisters solid presence behind me, no, in fact I felt far safer around him than I should have considering the circumstances. No, instead the bubble of uncertainty in my stomach stemmed from the events soon to come. My anxiety had been somewhat staunched with the promise that we would visit his rogue associates after this was all over and pick their brains for information involving the bracelet. But I knew how this episode ended, and all the events of it had rung true so far. Which meant that our little upcoming concert was scripted to fail. Which would leave me cold and alone without a lead. I could ask for Batman’s help if need be I suppose, but something about his dark demeanor, despite knowing who was under the cowl, made me shy more towards Meister. Not that putting the world under mind control was necessarily a good idea to be helping out with either, but I didn’t have many other options.

Which meant I was going to have to figure out a way to trip up Batman. Oh joy.

*

My foot restlessly bounced against the edge of the stage as Meister directed a group of hypnotized civilians in setting up the last of a set of speakers. I could feel my anxiety forming a tight knot in the pit of my stomach, egged on by the vast gathering of people all staring blankly at the stage. I knew they weren’t looking at me, but it still sent a nervous twitch through my hand. As I was digging my nails in to try and stop it, a hand landed on my shoulder.

“Nervous?” the red-head asked, and I sighed.

“Yeah, a bit. I just- I don’t do well around crowds. Reminds me too much of an incident back in high school where I managed to humiliate myself in front of the entire student body.”

“Hmm, sounds like quite the story. Maybe you could tell me sometime.” He replied with a grin, and I rolled my eyes.

“You wish.”

Chuckling at my answer, he gave a whistle. I watched as Aquaman and Green Arrow, relinquished of their earplugs at some point during the prison chaos, climbed upon the stage to flank us.

“Now for the moment the world’s been waiting for.” Meister declared, voice booming across the square.

“Without further ado, the show stopper!”

“This show’s closing early Music Meister, due to criminal intent!” an equally booming voice replied. In unison we looked up at a nearby roof, finding exactly the pair who you’d expect.

“And bad reviews.” Batman continued, and I could swear I could see the barest hint of a smirk twitch across his lips. In a flash he pointed what I immediately realized was a grapple at us and a honed Batarang came flying at us at us so fast I’m surprised it didn’t break the sound barrier. Somehow just as quickly, Meister snatched my arm and yanked me behind him, as the projectile sunk into the stage. He gave a light squeeze on my shoulder, a silent message of “Stay still” as he reached up to his chest and grinned.

“Well, I guess that’s my que.” He purred, tapping the small glass display in his breastplate. It lit up with a wave form and a slight tweak of his belt produced shoulder mounted speakers at the accompaniment thrummed to life.

**“The Music Meister sings the song that the world wants to hear.”**

His voice rang out as the duo slid down the newly formed zip-line. Just as they hit the ground and started towards us, a line of civilians formed a barrier between us.

**“Let’s not fight, let’s get along, for your hypnotic profiteer!”** Not sure how up for that the two were gonna be, considering the group currently dogpiling on top of them.

**“The Music Meister is the man that the world shall obey. So do your job, steal all you can, while you're under my sway!”** He thrust out a hand and the outer edge of the crowd turned toward the nearby stores.

**“It's too late, now's the date, when the world became unfurled. A satellite, projects my might, around my finger you'll be twirled!”** I heard a metallic creak and risked a glance upwards, spotting a dish on the building behind us tipping upwards.

_“The Music Meister sings the song that the world wants to hear. Let’s not fight, let’s get along, for our hypnotic profiteer!”_ I sang out with the crowd, keeping as blank a face as possible as I analyzed the scene before me, racking my brain for a way to get the better of the world’s greatest detective.

_“The Music Meister is the man that the world shall obey. So do your job, steal all you can, while you're under his sway!”_

**“You still persist, but don't resist. Sing along to my song!”** He called, giving me a nudge away from the action as the duo managed to get onto the scaffolding above us. I quickly scurried over to the stage edge, watching as they easily dealt with the minions that came up after them.

**“Dance a dance, prance my prance. Because to me you now belong!”**

They vaulted off past the stage, momentarily distracted as the crowd surrounded them once more. Master cast a glance over to check on me before turning his attention back to the battle and leaping up onto a speaker. Following his attention, I noticed the two had been separated, stuck within two different sections of minions. Canary seemed like the more occupied of the two, a thin sheen of sweat shining on her brow as she attempted to combat several people twice her size. Seeing my chance, I slipped off the stage and made a dash through the crowd towards her. Maybe if I could get those earplugs out early, the tide of battle would change in Meisters favor. Then it would only be a matter of keeping that microphone out of Bat’s hands.

I crept along the edge of fight, concealed behind a group of hypnotizees waiting for their chance to step into the brawl. As the crime fighter turned her back I shoved past them, sprinting and leaping up towards her. Just before I could wrap myself around her back however, she whirled around and drove a foot hard into my stomach. I gave a gag and was thrown backwards into the crowd, landing and tumbling along the ground for a few feet before skidding to a stop. It was a good thing I hadn’t eaten anything that morning, since it most likely would have been all over the pavement now. As it was, I was wheezing harshly, attempting to get my lungs to work correctly.

“Jesus Christ woman!” I groaned none too quietly, sending myself into a short coughing fit.

“Next time, how’s about you not nail the 19 year old in the diaphragm with a goddamn stiletto? Fucks sake.”

As I pushed myself up, arms stinging with scratches despite the protection of the cape, a shadow fell over me. Ever so slowly I looked up to find a pointy cowled figure towering over me.

“You’re no under his control anymore?” The capped crusader asked, and despite his calm tone I cowered back a bit.

“Uh, no, not exactly. I mean, it’s not effecting me or anyth- hey what are you doing?!”

I pawed at his grip as he wrapped an arm around me and shot his grapple gun towards a nearby roof, yanking us off the ground and barely clearing the hands of the pawns reaching for him. Hurriedly, he dumped me over the ledge, turning even as he spoke to survey the battle below.

“You’ll be safe up here. I’ll come and get you when this is over.”

“No, wait! You don’t understand! I need to-!”

He held up a hand to silence me before pointing down firmly.

“Stay.” He commanded, before kicking off and swinging away.

“Like fucking hell I am.” I snarled, immediately turning the instant he was out of sight and setting to work seeking a way down. The walls of my building offered no handhold or means of escape and my eyes darted to the next structure over. I could see the edge of a ladder peaking around the far corner and gave a hard swallow. My stomach twisted as I glanced down over the edge, the potential fall at least a hundred feet. Still, the gap was pretty narrow. Giving a shuddering sigh, I backed up a few paces.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

My footsteps slapped loudly against the stone as I broke into a sprint, planting my foot on the ledge and pushing off as hard as I could. My ribs met the opposite stonework with a thud, arms hooked over the lip as my legs dangled and kicked against the side. I hauled myself over with a grunt, rolling onto the roof and taking a few deep breaths. Stumbling to my feet, I glanced down at the battle. Bat was distracted by a large group while a pair of pawns seemed in the process of getting Canary’s earplugs. Not much time till things went belly up. Booking it to the ladder, I made sure my cape was secure and started down it, going as fast as I dared as it swayed worryingly.

A male voice met my ears, to odd of a pitch to be Meisters, and my head whipped around to find Batman pulling from the people holding him and slowly striding towards Canary.

“No, no, no!” I whispered, panic setting in. This was happening too fast. There was no way I’d make it at this pace. Sucking in a breath, I put all my long years of playing platformers to work and hooked my feet around the sides of the ladder, loosening my grip and sending myself into a fast slide down the metal. The sudden increase in wind sent my hair and cape whipping around behind me, eyes watering slightly. Just a little faster. Just need to get to him in time.

My feet hit the ground with a thud and I had take all of three steps when a shout met my ears.

“NO!”

Despite what apparent auditory protection the bracelet seemed to be giving me, I still let out a cry as Canary’s magnified note sliced through the air and sent a white-hot spike of pain into my head. I felt the buildings around me vibrate and the windows nearby shattered in a rain of glass. I looked up with clenched eyes just in time to see a certain ginger topple under Batman’s fist. He hit the stage with a crash, struggling once to sit up before falling back and lying still. I felt ice pour through my veins as my heart fell into my feet, unable to keep a scream from tearing from my throat.

“MEISTER!”

Ignoring the crowd, I made a mad dash for the stage, diving into the shadows to keep the sight of the heroes as they went about trying to corral the still somewhat hypnitizd populous. Ducking under the structure, I quickly crawled to the far end and popped up at the edge, quickly scanning around for prying eyes before turning my own to the ginger haired man sprawled a few feet away.

“Meister! Meister can you hear me?! Shit!” I breathed, shaking his shoulder in a futile attempt to rouse him. Giving a little panicked whine, I grabbed him and strained, using all my strength to haul his heavy armor clad body into hiding with me. My hands flew at the clasps and seams, ears hyper alert to every creak and clatter, certain we’d be noticed any second. I quickly released him of the weighty metal gear, leaving him in a simple frilled shirt and slacks. Even without it he was a large man and I sent up a prayer as I hooked my arms under his. I’d never been an especially strong person, even struggling to carry my 40 lb. beagle home the few times she’d gotten out. Yet somehow, whether from the world’s bullshit physics or my own panicked willpower, I managed to get him moving. Ignoring the bite of concrete through my socks I dug my heels in and dragged him through the shadows, tucking his discarded baton under my chin when I came upon it.  I froze as Canary’s voice gently rang out, quickening my pace as much as possible as another joined her softly in song.

By some miracle we went unnoticed, and I silently thanked my charge for stashing the bike nearby, hidden in an alley. Settling him near it, I took a deep breath and wracked my breath for ideas. We couldn’t stay here for long, we needed some place to hide. But where?

I gave a small gasp, remembering something he’d mentioned earlier, and crawled over ho him.

“Meister! Come on Music Man, wake up. Just for a second buddy.” I muttered to him, gently slapping at his face. He gave a tiny groan and the shadowy shape of his eyes behind the shades opened a crack.

“Wah..?” He mumbled, seeming to be having trouble focusing on anything. (Not surprising, considering he’d just been knocked for a loop.)

“Hey, hey, I need you to tell me where your other theater is. How do we get there?” I urged him on, grabbing his head and making him look at me. His brow furrowed slightly, eyes focusing a bit more.

“The-The keyboard on the bike...it’s Bass...The lock’s...solfège...” He breathed, head lolling sideways as he fell unconscious again. Gently setting him down, I hurried to the bike .

“What keyboard? There’s no keyboard on this thing.” I hissed, running my hands over the front and tapping things at random. A little “Oh” escaped me as I holographic display popped up, displaying letters. Quickly I typed in the given command and what could only have been GPS arrow popped up, the electronics of the vehicle lighting up and fully revving to life. Hurrying back to Meister, I strained to lift him up onto the seat, throwing the cape over him as a second thought and bundling him up the best I could.

“Never driven one of these before. Well, good time as any to learn.” I mumbled, climbing on behind him and giving it a little kick to get us moving. The bike quickly picked up speed as we curved out of the alley and I leaned forwards to keep my balance, securing my passenger between my arms just as he had done with me what seemed so long before.

“Just hang in there for a little longer maestro. Almost there.”

*

I’d almost crashed more than a few times from looking over my shoulder in paranoia by the time we reached the theater. It was a fairly small building though elegantly designed, with wide stone pillars and finely sculpted vinework winding down the corners.  It reminded me a lot of the community theater back in my own town actually. From the few scattered windows near the roof, I could guess there was most likely an apartment on the upper level.

 Pulling the bike to a stop in the shadows of the entrance I slipped off and, after a quick glance over of my patient, stepped up to the doors. I tried the handle, only succeeding at rattling the bolt against the door frame. Locked. Honestly, I’d have been more concerned it’d been unlocked. The place was Meister house after all. Even so, that still meant we were stuck out here.

I groaned and let my head fall forward against the glass with a thump. It was only then that I noticed the blink of a red LED to the side of the doorway. Leaning closer, I found an odd little box wired into the side of the building. There was a single button on the top, with a blank display screen and speaker opening taking up the majority of the device. Curious, I gave the button a click. The screen flicker to life, a single neon green line bisecting the length of it.

“Uh...”I breathed in confusion, giving a little jump as the line abruptly jumped a few times like a heart monitor. It suddenly occurred to me that I was staring at a waveform and something in my head clicked. Glancing around for any prying eyes, I cleared my throat and leaned in close to the device.

“Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do!” I sang, holding the last note for a moment. The LED flicked to green and the speaker gave a chime, the door unlocking with a click and swinging open.

“Nailed it.” I mouthed, giving a fist pump as I grabbed the front of the bike and hauled it through the door.

The lobby was well maintained, with a little ticket booth flanked by two sets of wooden double doors. Despite its nice architecture, the room offered nothing in the way of getting to the upper level, so I moved on. The theater itself was just as well kept, the stage polished and seats dust free. I glanced around, hoping to see another door or perhaps an elevator. Instead I found a stairway tucked away in the corner.

“Of fucking course.” I sighed, easing Meister off the bike. Wrapping my arms around him I slowly began backing up the stairs, wincing as his feet bounced with a thud against each step. By the time I hit the top I was wheezing quietly, legs wobbling a bit as I dragged him down a carpeted hallway. I almost cried with joy when I came upon a small living room, quickly hauling him over to the couch and laying him down as gently as I could. Now safely away from danger, I went about checking him over more thoroughly. As far as I could tell, he hadn’t sustained any extensive injuries to his torso or extremities. However a quick sweep over his head revealed a large bump forming on his temple, accompanied with the first signs of a dark bruise that stretched down to his cheekbone. Leaving him for a moment, I ventured into the rest of the apartment. I glanced into a few rooms as I passed, including what seemed to be his bedroom, finally managing to find the kitchen. I made a beeline to his freezer, fishing out an ice tray and dumping a decent amount of cubes into a baggie. Hurrying back to the villain, I found him just as unconscious as before.

“Now who’s doing all the work? I’m dragging your ass all over the city while you nap.” I mumbled, slipping his shades off and gently settling the makeshift icepack over the lump. Sighing, I let myself slump against the couch, resting my head on my arms beside his hand. Well, that certainly hadn’t gone as planned. Meister was out one mind control scheme and I still had no idea how to get home. Now that I was no longer of any immediate use to him, who knows what he was planning to do with me? What a marvelous morning, or I guess it would be night, this had been. I let my eyes slip shut, trying to will away the headache Canary’s screech had given me. Really, everything just sort of ached now, a dull soreness under my skin that pulsed with every heartbeat. It prickled especially badly near the crown of my head and I vaguely wondered if I’d unknowingly smacked my head on something.

After a moment it became evident that the pain wasn’t from the headache or some mysterious head wound, but rather something tugging at my hair. Shifting my head, I found Meisters hand tangled in a stray bit of my locks, fingers gently clenching and unclenching. Quickly easing it from his grasp I clambered to the end of the couch, leaning over him. His brow was furrowed, a little groan escaping his throat as he came back to consciousness. Slowly he relaxed and his eyes opened.

The first thing that I noticed was that said eyes were the brightest blue-green I’d ever seen. No wonder he hid them behind those shades, he was probably blinding passerby with them. His gaze flickered around the room, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He caught sight of me and blinked a few times, focusing on my face.

“Ota?” He murmured, a touch of rawness in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah it’s me. You’re safe. We’re at the theater.” I replied, voice hushed as not to startle him.

“Theater? How did we get to the...?”

He cut off as he broke into a fit of hoarse coughs and I rushed to the kitchen to grab him some water. By the time I’d returned with a glass he had pulled himself into a semi-upright position, partially lounged across the couch with an elbow propping him up.

“How are you feeling?” I asked as I handed him the liquid. He quickly swallowed it down, moving a hand back to his head to keep the ice pack from sliding down.

“Sore. Very sore.”

“Well, that’s kinda what happens when you get socked across the face by Batman. Trust me, the feeling is mutual.” I replied, rubbing at what was certainly going to become a large bruise from Canary’s boot.

“Batman?” He mumbled, staring at me in bewilderment. Suddenly his eyes snapped wide open, a choked gasp escaping his lips.

“Batman! Where is he? What happened? How did we get here?”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down. We’re good, he doesn’t know where we are. Or, well, he hasn’t shown up yet, so I assume he doesn’t. As for how we got here, I kinda threw you over the bike and drove us here. Hope you weren’t fond of that armor.”

He went silent, staring at me with wide eyes.

“You...you rescued me?” He breathed and I cocked my head in confusion.

“Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I have?”

“I-I was holding you hostage. I tried to control you. I tried to take over the world. You could have just gone to Batman once I was knocked out. But you didn’t. Why?” He asked, an astonished nervousness laced through his voice.

“Well, you said you would help me. You were my best bet on finding out what’s going on and getting home.” I replied. Running a hand through my hair, I looked away slightly.

“Besides, God this is gonna sound so stupid, as time went on I kinda ended up...wanting to be your friend...”

“You...you wanted to be my friend?” He seemed dumbfounded, unable to process the information the information.

“Well, yeah. What do you think all the witty banter was for? Filling the empty air?”

“I-I thought you were just trying to hide that you were scared.”

“Why? You had already told me you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“That hasn’t stopped people in the past...” He replied, glancing away. I was silent for a moment, before giving a sigh and flopping down against the edge of the couch, staring at the ceiling.

“Trust me, you would have known if I was scared. As you’ve probably seen by now, I ain’t exactly subtle. Now, when you got taken out, THAT scared me. I think my heart got left behind in that square for a bit actually.”

His head whipped around to loot at me, expression practically oozing surprise. I smiled, but then a though in the back of my head made itself known and I ducked my head self-consciously, pulling back from him.

“Did...did you not want to be friends? I mean, I would totally understand. People tend to find me pretty flighty. Just kind of a general annoyance really. So if you wanted me to get out of your hair I could just go-“

“No! No, no, it’s fine! You’re great, brilliant even!” He exclaimed, grabbing my hands and holding them tightly. He calmed, a smile pulling at his lips.

“I would love to be friends.”

I couldn’t help but smile back, feeling a thrum of happiness in my chest. The air of awkwardness that had been hovering over the room had lifted and I cocked an eyebrow.

“Wow, friends with the famous music Meister. You just gave me a mighty bragging point amongst my friends.” I chuckled.

“Patrick.” He replied, grinning at the confused twist of my head.

“My name. It’s Patrick Forte. You told me yours, it’s only polite to return the favor.”

“Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you Sir Forte.” I smirked, breaking out into a laugh as he reached over and ruffled my hair vigorously.

“Smart aleck.”

I leaned back against the coffee table behind me as we settled into a comfortable silence, only broken by my sigh as I turned my eyes back to the fan slowly turning on the ceiling.

“So then, what do we do now? Your scheme has kinda gone up in smoke, at least for the time being, and I’m still stuck thousands of miles from home.”(In a completely different world no less.)

The red head gave a hum, placing a finger to his lips thoughtfully.

“Well, I was never planning on leaving everyone hypnotized to begin with. After all, what good’s a marvelous voice if no one’s around to hear it? All I was really after was the money. “

“Guess starting that big on your first scheme wasn’t exactly the best idea huh?” I snarked and he gave my leg a little kick.

 “As for you, I may not be the most popular with a lot of the criminal underground, one too many accidentally hypnotizations, but I have a few connections. We’ll figure out that shiny bangle of yours, one way or another.” He smirked at me.

“And if worse comes to worse, I’ve always wanted a partner in crime.”

I gave a snort, rolling my eyes.

“Unlikely buddy.”

A beep cut through the room and my head whipped around to look at the bracelet. The light in the dome was fading in and out, flaring brightly before dropping to near darkness.

“World parameters nearing limit. Beginning extraction.” The little electronic voice chirped.

“Extraction? What do you mean extraction?” I asked, pulling it close to my face to examine it. It flashed brightly and I gave a cry of pain, covering my nearly blinded eye. As I tried to blink away the spots, Meister gave a shout. Turning my attention down the path of his pointing finger, I found three rings of glowing circuit like designs now emblazoned on the carpet around me. They flashed and blinked a few times, swiveling back and forth like a camera lens till they lined up. And then, with a flare of blue light, the floor beneath me went slack. I screamed as I fell into the pool of thick glowing liquid, pulling down at me like quicksand as I struggle against it.

 “Meister, help!” I cried, clawing at the couch as I sunk down to my waist.

He lunged forward, wavering dangerously as he grabbed my hand and pulled.

“It’s...too strong!” He growled, and I could tell the knock to his head was getting to him, sapping his strength. I clasped my hand around his own and pulled, trying to slow my process with little success.

I was up to my chest when I noticed the bracelets continued flashing, the same blinding blue as the goo I was sinking into. It was then that I realized what was going on and turned my attention to the man tightly clasping my hand. This was my way home, but the red head was still in danger. If something clued them off to his location, who’s knows what would happen. Panicked, I clawed at Meisters sleeve to get his attention.

“Meister, Patrick, please just listen to me! Stay hidden! Don’t go near the rogues! Don’t try to pull anything! Just wait and let this whole thing blow over! You’re safe for now but you can’t let them figure out where you went! Just don’t do anything that could draw attention to you!”

It was at my neck now and I took a deep breath, tipping my face back for one final message.

“Stay safe!”

“Ota!” I heard him scream as my hand slipped free and it closed over my head.

*

I awoke with a gasp, the phantom press of liquid still lingering in my nose and mouth. I scrabbled upright, breathing ragged as I looked around. It took a moment for my eyes to register the familiar shapes of my living room, pupils blown wide and half blinded by the light streaming through the window.

“I...I’m home?” I wheezed, brain still trying to catch up with the rest of me.

“Extraction complete!”

My head whipped down to look at the bracelet. The light of the dome and inlays was dimmed, slowly blinking.

“Recharge period beginning. Powering down.”

It gave a little click, the lights going out entirely. Immediately I clawed at it, the clasp opening easily beneath my nails and clattering softly in a corner as it was flung off. I clutched my heart as my pulse raced, staring at it as though it were some horrid creature. Slowly my breathing slowed and I took a better look around. The sun outside the window seemed to signal it was mid-morning and, to my confusion, the remaining coffee in my abandoned mug still felt reasonably warm. I quickly checked my laptop, laying unharmed on the floor in a pile of blankets, displaying a video end screen. I glanced at the clock in its corner, eyes widening.

‘It’s...only been 20 minutes?’

My mind reeled, trying to take in the fact. But I’d been with Meister for hours. How could so little time have passed? I glanced down, finding my legs still wrapped in blankets and the bracelet’s box laying discarded beside the couch. I could have sworn both had been flung aside in chaos of being sucked into the computer. A though occurred to me and I checked the back of my wrist, where the bracelet had stabbed me earlier. Not a mark in sight.

“A...A dream?” I pondered. It would explain the lack of injuries and general believability of the whole event. Letting out a sigh, my head fell back against the couch. Just a giant crazy dream. I glanced back at the time. Bout time to get up and get started on chores. Groaning, I pulled myself from the blanket nest and shuffled off to the kitchen.

Behind me, the bracelet quietly chimed.

“Setup incomplete. Please continue formatting at next opportunity.”

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, we'll get to see more of our dear maestro of villainy later, along with some more of the rogues. We won't get to that chapter for a while, but I'm already partway through writing it. (Meister is just too fun to write.)  
> I hoped you guys enjoyed this first part. Please kudo, comment and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for other series for Ota to visit. (Oh god, I kinda startin to sound like I did back in my old FF.net days. (O∆O) Run from the cringe.)
> 
> As for a hint about the next chapter, let's just say that there will be a lot of white stuff, a lot of science and a certain British robot. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
> 
> See you all next time!


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